by Brianna Crandall — January 12, 2011—The Empire State Building announced January 6 that it is purchasing 100 percent wind power from Green Mountain Energy Company, which will make the iconic 2.85-million-square-foot office building New York City’s largest commercial purchaser of 100 percent renewable energy.
Green Mountain was awarded a two-year contract to purchase nearly 55 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy annually, which will avoid nearly 100 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year. The purchase is reportedly more than double the amount of renewable power that any other commercial customer in New York City is currently buying.
The Empire State Building’s green power purchase further reinforces the building’s sustainability strategy. In July, the “world’s most famous office building” unveiled a $2 million interactive, multimedia sustainability exhibit to showcase its $20 million energy retrofit project, which includes a nearly 40 percent reduction in consumption of watts and BTUs.
The facility’s purchase also exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) voluntary Green Power Partnership requirements. Based on EPA’s current rankings, New York City’s most recognizable building is expected to rank No. 18 on EPA’s national Top 100 percent Green Power Purchaser List. The Empire State Building recently joined EPA’s Green Power Partnership and qualifies for EPA’s Green Power Leadership Club for significantly exceeding EPA’s minimum purchase requirements.
